Should You Put a Job You Were Fired From on Your Resume?

What You’ll Learn

Getting fired can leave you with a lot of questions about what comes next, and your resume is often one of the first places you get stuck. If you’re asking, “Should I put a job I was fired from on my resume?” you may be weighing honesty against the risk of drawing unnecessary attention to a difficult career moment.

Your resume still needs to make a strong case for where you’re headed next. That means making thoughtful decisions about what belongs on the page and accurately presenting your experience in a way that’s relevant and useful to employers.

Below, we’ll cover how to approach those decisions throughout your job search with examples and expert tips.

When Should You Include a Job You Were Fired From on Your Resume?

In most cases, you should put a job you were fired from on your resume if the experience is relevant to the position you’re pursuing. As Toni Frana, a career expert at Monster, explains, “If you had meaningful results and accomplishments, and the job is relevant to the position you hope to land, it makes sense to include it.”

That doesn’t mean you should disclose the termination. You shouldn’t state anywhere on your resume that you were fired or explain why the job ended. As Frana notes, “Resumes are more a reflection of your skills, impact, and results, not details about why you left a role.”

“Often, it’s during the interview that the conversation about why you left a job takes place,” Frana explains. That’s the time to describe what happened honestly and professionally.

When Should You Leave a Job You Were Fired From off Your Resume?

Consider leaving a job you were fired from off your resume if the role was brief, irrelevant, or adds little value to your work history. Before you leave it off, consider whether doing so would create a significant employment gap.

As a general rule, a job you held for more than a few months is more likely to be worth including, especially if it’s relevant or leaving it off would create a noticeable gap.

Consider keeping it on your resume when:

Consider leaving it off when:

How to Put a Job You Were Fired From on Your Resume: 3 Tips

If you’ve been fired, you can still put the job on your resume without indicating that you were terminated. Instead, list the role normally and keep the focus on your experience and qualifications.

Here’s what to put on a resume after being fired and how to do it well:

• 1.

  Treat It Like Any Other Role

  List the job the same way you would any other position on your resume. Include it in your work history section with the job title, employer, location, and accurate dates of employment. There’s no need to write “fired,” “terminated,” or include a reason for leaving.

  Avoid changing your job title or adjusting employment dates to make the experience look different. Keep the basic details factual and consistent with your employment history.

• 2.

  Highlight Your Achievements, Skills, & Contributions

  Focus your bullet points on what you accomplished while you were in the role, not how it ended. Highlight relevant skills, responsibilities, projects, and measurable results that show what you can offer your next employer.

  Whenever possible, quantify your accomplishments with numbers, percentages, or other specific results. A strong work experience entry keeps the reader’s attention on your professional value rather than the circumstances of your departure.

  Here’s an example:

  Customer Service Manager
  PA Retail Group | Easton, PA | March 2022–June 2025

  • Managed a team of 12 customer service representatives and maintained a 94% customer satisfaction rating.
  • Reduced average response times by 18% by improving scheduling and support workflows.
  • Trained and onboarded 15 new employees on customer service procedures, company policies, and point-of-sale systems.
• 3.

  Choose a Resume Format That Highlights Your Strengths

  The resume format you use can help you emphasize your strongest qualifications without hiding your work history. 

  Here are your options:

  Resume Format	When to Use It
  Chronological resume	A steady work history where experience and career progression are your strongest selling points
  Combination resume	Relevant skills and accomplishments need more emphasis while maintaining a clear chronological work history; generally the better skills-focused option after being fired
  Functional resume	Skills matter more than your career timeline, such as during certain career changes or portfolio careers; use cautiously because recruiters may have a harder time understanding your work history

  For most job seekers who want to emphasize relevant qualifications while keeping their work history clear, a combination resume offers a good balance between highlighting strengths and giving employers the timeline they expect.

  Whichever format you choose, remember that a strong resume highlights your qualifications while presenting your work history clearly and accurately, rather than using formatting to conceal that you were fired.

When & How Should You Explain Being Fired During Your Job Search?

If you were fired, you generally don’t need to explain it until an employer asks about it during an interview. Leave the termination off your resume and, in most cases, your cover letter.

When it comes up in an interview, be honest about what happened without sharing unnecessary details, and focus on what you learned and what you can offer moving forward.

Should You Mention Being Fired in a Cover Letter?

Generally, you shouldn’t explain a firing in your cover letter. Instead, use your cover letter to explain why you’re interested in the position and highlight the qualifications that make you a strong candidate.

If the circumstances surrounding your departure need clarification, such as when the job ending resulted in a lengthy employment gap, address the situation briefly without going into the details of the termination.

Here’s an example of how this might appear in a strong cover letter:

This briefly explains the transition without drawing attention to the termination and redirects the focus to your qualifications and next opportunity.

How to Explain Being Fired in a Job Interview

If an interviewer asks why you were fired, answer honestly, keep your explanation brief, and then move the conversation forward. You don’t need to share every detail, but you should accurately describe why the job ended rather than using vague language to avoid the question.

A strong answer generally follows four steps:

• Step 1:

  Use neutral, blame-free language that accurately describes what happened. For example, if you were fired because the role wasn’t a good fit, explain that briefly without assigning blame.

• Step 2:

  Take accountability when appropriate. If performance, attendance, or another issue contributed to the termination, acknowledge your part without making excuses or criticizing your former employer.

• Step 3:

  Explain what changed. Share what you learned and, when possible, give specific examples of what you’ve done differently since.

• Step 4:

  Redirect the conversation to the new role. Connect what you’ve learned to the position you’re interviewing for and why you’re prepared to succeed in it.

For example, if you were fired for repeatedly missing deadlines, you might say:

Keep your answer focused on the essential facts. The interviewer needs enough context to understand what happened and, more importantly, evidence that you’ve learned from the experience and are prepared to move forward.

Other Resume Considerations After Being Fired: Short-Term Roles, Probation, & Employment Gaps

Short-term or probationary employment doesn’t automatically need to be removed from your resume. When deciding whether to include it, consider how long you held the job, where you were in the employment period, and what your work history looks like without it.

• 1.

  Short-Term Roles

  If you were fired after only two or three months, consider what the position adds to your resume before deciding to include it. A short-term job may be worth keeping if it’s relevant to your target position, gave you valuable experience, or fills what would otherwise be a noticeable employment gap.

  If the role lasted only a short time, isn’t relevant, and you can remove it without creating a significant gap, leaving it off may make more sense.

• 2.

  Termination During a Probationary Period

  You don’t need to identify a probationary termination on your resume. If you include the job, list it like any other position and consider whether the experience strengthens your resume or adds little value.

• 3.

  Employment Gaps

  Before removing a job you were fired from, consider the employment gap it would leave. Omitting a three-month position, for example, may be relatively inconsequential within an otherwise consistent work history. Removing a longer position could leave a more noticeable gap that you’ll need to explain later.

  When you’re choosing between showing a short stint and creating an unexplained gap, consider which option gives employers a clearer and more accurate picture of your relevant experience. If you do have a gap, you can address it separately without including the details of your termination on your resume.

Quick Tips & Mistakes to Avoid on Your Resume After Being Fired

When updating your resume after being fired, keep the focus on your experience and qualifications rather than the circumstances of your departure.

Use these quick dos and don’ts to keep your resume accurate, professional, and forward-looking:

Move Forward With a Resume That Focuses on What You Offer

Knowing how to write a resume after being fired comes down to presenting an accurate picture of the experience and value you bring to your next employer. One job ending doesn’t define the rest of your career, but how you position yourself for what comes next can make a difference. Build your resume around the skills, accomplishments, and qualifications that show employers where you can go from here.